A Gift From The Heart
by Rain4evah
Summary: The gummis are freezing inside the Glen in the cold winter, and they have no way of getting warm. What are they to do? The closest thing the gummi bears could have come to Christmas.


_I suppose, since the characters in Gummi Bears live in a middle aged fairytale land, they haven't got anything like Christmas or Santa Clause or anything of that. I guess this little story shot is the closest thing they can come to Christmas. The Gummi Bears belong to Walt Disney, I own none of the characters! _

* * *

"I'm freezing, Gruffi." Cubbi complained from where he sat in front of the fireplace with a blanket around himself. "Can't we put some more wood on the fire, please?"

Gruffi turned to the young cub with a sorry expression. "I'm sorry, Cubbi, but there aren't much left. We need what we have got left for cooking."

"And even that's hardly enough." Grammi said from the stool where she was knitting. She had a wrap around her shoulders, but also she was shivering. "I can barely make a meal without any more fire."

Gruffi crossed his arms and snorted. "Well, we don't have anything else, and it's far too cold and too much snow outside to get more."

"But is it healthy to live like this?" Gusto asked and paused from walking around with his arms around him. The light blue bear wasn't used to the cold climate; after a dozen years living on a warm, tropical island, the cold winter with snow and ice had come as a great shock for him. He had a woolen shirt under his normal outfit, but he still walked around like crazy to keep himself warm. "I didn't remember that winter was so cold."

"Bet you're glad to be here rather than in your studio now, what?" Sunni said. She too had a blanket around her, she was even having her outdoor jacket on to prevent her from freezing.

Gusto gave back a sarcastic smile between his hatching teeth. "Honestly, I donno'f it would be any difference at all."

"Maybe Zummi can cast his fire spell?" Tummi asked.

"I'm afraid it's no use when I don't have anything to lighten, Tummi." The older bear answered, curling himself together in his chair rubbing his paws together trying to get warm.

"Oh." The big teenaged bear said, dropping his head down. Zummi saw it and coughed.

"But it was a good thought though."

Tummi looked up and smiled.

"I AM sorry, but we can't do anything about it!" Gruffi said irritated, loosing his patience. The truth was that he was cold himself, but he was annoyed but he thought that he couldn't do anything about it, and he was getting tired of all the complaining. It made him feel like he hadn't been able to help out enough.

It had been like that a while now. This year's winter had come early, and it had been colder than normal. After the harvesting of gummiberrys and other food at the late off, the horrible rain had made it impossible to do things in a normal line. Gruffi had to fix a couple of broken spots in the roofs, half the gummis had been down with a cold and before they knew the word of it, they had been surprised by sudden snow. The children had been happy about it, but it hadn't been so fun when it just continued and continued and never stopped. It could have been easier if it hadn't been more cold than usual. Now they had used more firewood than earlier and since they hadn't got time to gather more, they were simply stuck with what they got.

They heard a door being opened and everyone turned around to see who was there; and smiled when they got to see who entered.

"Cavin!" Cubbi smiled brughtly and jumped up.

"Hey, guys." Cavin said and held his arms tight around him. "Gosh, is it really cold here every day?"

"It's going to be worse." Cubbi said walking over to him, still with the blanket around him. "Gruffi says we've haven't got more firewood."

"We HAVE got, but there's not much left." Gruffi said, still in bad mood.

"I guess I showed up in the right time then." Cavin smiled.

"What do you mean?" Cubbi said.

"Come and see!" Cavin said and headed for the door.

"What? Out there?" Gusto said with hatching teeth and pointed out the door with a look of disbelief. "You're kidding, right?"

Cavin laughed. "No! Come' on!"

Even though it was colder outside the living room, they all followed the young human to see what he was up to.

They were led into the quick-tunnels, where Cavin pointed at one of the cars, that had its whole backseat filled with firewood that was tied up with a rope around the car. There was already a bunch about twice as big lying on the platform.

"Calla got to know from Sunni that you were running out of firewood, so we've been bringing this with us. That one's from last night, and this one," he pointed at the quick-car filled with wood, "I brought with me now. We used about half the night getting it through the secret entrance and to the tunnels, but it was worth it."

They were all staring with wide eyes at the piles of wood with joy written in their faces.

Gusto was the fist one to react. "WOW! Is that what I think it is?" His face broke up in a big smile and he completly forgot that he was freezing.

Grammi oin the other hand reacted somwhat else. "Goodness, child. Don't tell me you've been driving in these icy cold tunnels with all of this for our sake?"

Cavin looked at her. "Well, of course. How else could we've brought it all here?"

Zummi looked up at him. "Cavin, you know you didn't have to do this."

"But we're really grateful for it." Tummi said with a big smile.

"Yes, thank you so much!" Sunni said and hugged Cavin around his legs, making him laugh.

"Hey, we couldn't exactly let you guys freeze, or what? Besides, the castle's got plenty of firewood; it's only fair to give something for those who have helped to keep it safe."

"Bless you, my dear." Grammi said with a moved voice and folded her hands. "Now I can finally cook properly!"

"Let's hope THAT ever happens." Gruffi mumbled with crossed arms.

Cavin just smiled at them. "Alright then, shall we get this inside before it freezes out here?"

They used about half an hour to bring the firewood inside when they all worked together. They were cold and the thought of becoming warm again was pushing them to work, and made them warm as well. They carried what they could inside to the living room and the kitchen and the rest into the woodshed.

When Cavin and Zummi came into the kitchen with the last piles in his hands, Grammi was already preparing the oven for cooking.

"Thank you so much, Cavin. This was a wonderful surprise. Please thank the Princess from us too." Zummi said.

Cavin smiled over the woodpiles he held. "Sure I will. This was her idea after all. I'm just being the supplier."

"Oh, but taking so much bother, and through the told cunnels-no, I mean the cold tunnels for our sake."

"Hey, you guys are like family to me. I'd gladly help out anytime!"

But as Cavin put down the last wood piles he suddenly sneezed.

Grammi and Zummi turned to him and suddenly noticed how poor the boy was dressed; a worn out woolen waistcoat was everything he wore besides the woolen pants, the cap and a thin scarf around his neck. "Are you sure you're dressed warm enough, Cavin?" Grammi asked worried walking over to him. "Because it doesn't seem like you are."

"Don't worry about me, Grammi." Cavin answered lightly. "It's so much to do at the castle making me being active all the time, so I don't freeze much."

Grammi and Zummi exchanged looks, obviously not satisfied with the answer, but they didn't say anything more about it.

"Well, it's time to put up some fire then. Stand back, everyone!" Zummi said and the two others obeyed. The next second he preformed the fire spell and the fireplace under the oven was lit. The frost on the firewood made it crackle loudly, but it didn't take long before it started to spred warm around the kitchen.

"Nice." Cavin smiled. "Well, I better get back to the castle."

He was heading for the door when Grammi grabbed him determined in the sleeve. "Oh, you think so, young man?"

"But Grammi, I… woah!" Cavin didn't get to say anything when Grammi dragged him to the closest chair and pulled him down to it.

"You're not going anywhere before you've got some warm liquid in you!" Grammi said and started preparing the oven.

Zummi smiled and walked over to him. "You better not argue with Grammi. When she's made up her mind, you can't stop her." he whispered to him.

Cavin looked like he wanted to protest, but instead he sighed and stayed where he was.

Soon they were all gathered in the kitchen, happy to be warm again and to have the job done. With the new fire in the oven, Grammi made everyone a cup of warm cocoa, and they all enjoyed themselves lightly.

But Grammi gave Cavin long worried looks, noticing how hard he tried to hide his couching and seem bright, but he didn't fool her. She could tell that the boy was cold, but didn't complain about it. She had always admired the young boy's bravery and modesty and she had grown very fond of him ever since they first met them. She just didn't have the heart to let him suffer in silence like that. It just wasn't right!

Later, Grammi watched when he was followed by Cubbi through one of the secret tunnels. She and Zummi had practically forbidden him to travel through the quick-tunnels in this cold, even though it was the fastest way to get through. When Cubbi returned a while later, Grammi noticed how worried he looked, and when they asked him, Cubbi could tell that Cavin had been coughing all the way to the castle and just kept telling it was alright.

Grammi didn't like it; not at all, and she decided to do something about it.

* * *

The next day, Gruffi was actually smiling for the first time in a long while. He was glad that he didn't get anymore complaining from the rest of the gummis, and he was happy to be warm himself. Things were finally going their way again.

"It's nice to be warm again, isn't it, Gruffi?" Zummi asked.

Gruffi looked at him. "It's nice to not having people complaining all the time, that's for sure."

"You know, now that it's not so cold, I'm really starting to like winter!" Gusto said with a bright smile. "It's so nice and cozy."

"I am really enjoying having marm weals-er, warm meals again. Don't you think so, Grammi?" Zummi said turning to Grammi, who was sitting in the chair.

Grammi didn't answer. She was sitting in deep concentration with some kind of knitting on her lap. Zummi walked over to her and noticed the garment she was working on and started to wonder. It had a double set of some of their best yarn and seemed to be of enormous size.

"What is it that you're knitting, Grammi?" he asked curious.

She looked up at Zummi, her eyes were filled with concern. "It's something for Cavin, for what he did for us yesterday. He was trying so hard not to make us worry, but he was freezing to his bones and sure building up a cold, poor lad; I could tell. You saw how poor he was dressed."

Zummi sighed. "I know, I noticed it. But he didn't say anything."

"Oh, you old fool. He's too modest to admit it! And with only knights and castle people around him it's not strange why he has grown up to just suffer without complaining." She snorted. "Teaching poor young boys to be warriors when they really need a woman's hand to care for them in that age!"

"His grandfather can probably do something about that." Gruffi said. "After all the kid is his responsebility."

"He's not in Dunwyn now, Gruffi." Cubbi, who was reading one of his story books in the floor in front of the fire, looked up at him with a depressed expression. "Cavin told me he won't be back before the New-Year's Celebration."

"Then it's a good thing he's got you to care for him." Zummi looked at her and smiled, and she smiled back.

Gruffi sighed. "Something tells me you've become a little too much found of that boy, Grammi."

She looked at him with melancholic eyes. "How can I not, Gruffi? He's such a friendly, kind little boy. He shouldn't be freezing. And I'm going to make sure he's not!"

"And besides, he IS our resposebility!" Gusto said. "I mean, what would have happened to us it it had continued like it did? I, who's not used to this winter thing, don't think I would have held out much longer!" He shivered at the thought.

Zummi laid a friendly hand Grammi's shoulder. "It's true. Cavin really is a fine lad, and he deserves all the love and care he can get. We really do owe him after all he has done for us!"

Gruffi suddenly felt how a lump made its way to his throat, and he walked out of the room without saying a word.

Even though the whole Glen was warm again, Gruffi couldn't help but still feel cold inside.

What was it? Bad conscious? Why was the thought of a freezing Cavin with a cold poking him inside his chest like a sharp icicle?

He sighed and closed his eyes. He knew the answer too good himself; it was because he too had become found of the young human, neither he liked it or not. Cavin wasn't like other humans; he had manage to get uner his hard skin and into his heart, something Gruffi had thought would never happen. He actually cared for the human cub like he was one of their own cubs.

He remembered when he had been stuck with a cold this fall, and how Grammi had been taking care of him like he was a sick child, and the other gummis as well. Grammi wasn't exactly a mother for him, but he didn't have one himself, and even though he got tired of her nagging caring, he still apreciated her caring.

But with Sir Gawain away, who was taking care of Cavin? That thought made it's way to his mind and got stuck.

Zummi was right; they owed him one! After all Cavin had risked for their sake, not only his life, but now his health too, he sure deserved something back.

He headed for the door that led to the basement, opened it and went down. There they kept all their savings and harvests from late off. When he found a pile of the rabbit fur they had gathered for the winter, he brought it back up to his workshop, placed them on the table and looked in his tool box after tools before he went on with the work.

"This is for you, kid!"

* * *

"Are you sure you're alright, Cavin?" Calla asked looking worried up at Cavin from the chair. "I don't like that cough of yours."

"Could you please stop nagging, Calla? I'm fine." Cavin said and cleared his throat. "Really!"

"No, you're not!" Calla said and stood up, placing her hands on her hips. "You've been couching the last three days, I don't like that you're going around like that."

Cavin was starting to get tired off all the nagging, but he remained calm when he spoke. "Well, what do you want me to do? My room isn't the warmest, and in case you haven't noticed, it's winter outside." He said gesticulating to the window.

Calla took the thick woolen blanket that was lying there and practicly pushed it into his arms so he almost fell backwards. "Take this with you and have it over you at night. I insist!"

"But…"

"Please?"

Cavin wasn't able to resist the big, begging eyes she gave him. not even the King was able to resist the look of an appealing Calla, and neither was he. So he took the woolen blanket in his arms. "Alright. Thanks." he sighed and went to bed for the night.

He knew she only cared, but he wasn't the kind who asked much for such favors. He was simply used to live with all the bothers he had. A page didn't have the same privileges as the rest of the court. He simply didn't dare to ask for anything.

Even though he had to admit he had been freezing awefully lately. But it wasn't his fault that he had grown out of most of his few winter garments. He simply didn't have anything else to wear right now. He could ask his Grandfather for something when he returned from his journey, but for the moment he simply had to suffer in silence.

He coughed again as he closed the door to his room. He looked down at the blanket Calla had given him and realized that he was actually grateful for it; even though it wouldn't help him much in the morning when he was going to work.

He walked to his bed and sighed heavily when he looked out of the window. It was snowing; again. Wouldn't this winter even end? What was he going to do?

Then he got to notice something lying on his pillow. He dropped the blanket and took up a large, woolen sweater with a dark blue-green color with a waitscoat of fur around it. The throat of the sweater was high, the arms long with wide sleeves. Cavin touched it and felt how warm it was. The waitcoat around was covering the shoulders and was made of… was it rabbit fur?

Cavin blinked in confusion. Where had these come from? He couldnt' possibily understand.

He let his hand glide over it and felt how warm and soft it was and how strong it seemed. He wasn't any expert on knitting, but he thought he could recognize the way it was made from somewhere, and the pattern at the waistcoat was strangely familiar. The small buttons on the waistcoat had a symbol on them, and he gasped when he saw what it was; the same symbol as the gummi medallion! As he lifted it up he noticed something that slid out of it and fell on the floor. It was a note. He picked it up and read what was written.

_I don't__ want you to catch a cold, dear.  
So I ask you to wear this for your own health's sake.  
And Gruffi made you something just in case.  
Grammi _

After reading the note, Cavin had to wipe away a warm tear from his face and smiled. With Grammi he knew that it wasn't necessary to ask for anything because she always knew when something was needed. Cubbi had probably told her about his coughing, and she had worried for him and done something about it.

And Gruffi; always the grumpy and yelling one on the outside, but Cavin knew how soft hearted he could be. But he hadn't expected such concern from him and felt deeply moved inside.

He had people who cared for him just as much as he cared for them.

"Oh Grammi, Gruffi, you're really the best. Thank you so much!" he mumbled and clustered the warm gift into his body. He wasn't late to put both the garments on, and held his arms tightly around his body, like he was hugging his dear gummi friends through the clothes.

He wasn't sure if it was the garments or something inside him, but suddenly Cavin was feeling warmer than he had done in a long time.


End file.
